AN: Please review I want any and all reviews, even flames. Seriously over 150 hits and only 3 reviews?
Chapter 3
It had been fun, messing with those traitors. It had amused Durza to watch them band their minds together to hold him off. It was useless, of course, but what else could you expect of mortal men? The elf, however, was something else. He held his own against Durza's onslaught. Granted, Durza had been holding back to see how long it would take for the rest of the soldiers to arrive, but he had tripped, and only just managed to save himself. He laughed, startling the soldiers around him. To have discovered so much at so little cost, it would be easy to destroy the small band of traitors. Edhellhach, however, was something else entirely. It would be three days until he mustered enough forces to take down both Edhellhach and the soldiers at the same time. Durza assumed that Edhellhach was now drawing his troops together, so another…incident wouldn't happen again, which would give him more time to find Vrael's lost jewel, Mir.
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After Durza's attack on Ohtar's platoon, Edhellhach started to draw his troops closer together. There was always at least one other platoon away, though they never ventured further than three minutes away, and Edhellhach was never that far from his troops. He realized that protecting his troops would drastically slow down his search for Mir. He remembered his last problem - how to get the soldiers to willingly do their best to achieve his goals. Earning their respect started off as a tool to control them, but over the course of the past week, he began to enjoy their respect. Edhellhach was now one of the people the soldiers respected the most, and because of that respect he wouldn't let any one of them die while he had the ability to prevent it. But this new problem, keeping his troops alive while searching for Mir, would be harder. He wished it was still the age of the Riders, where his apprentice Oromis, and Oromis's apprentice Brom were still alive. Both of them had an uncanny way of solving problems they were presented with, but as far as he knew, they had perished in the battles against the Forsworn. He sighed, those memories were to be held after a time. For now, he would have to make do with Ohtar, who at least had great bravery; he hadn't run from him or Durza, but kept his cool and came up with a solution against Durza's mental barrage. He summoned Ohtar to discuss their problem.
"Captain Ohtar, what would you propose we do to solve the problem posed by Durza?" Edhellhach hoped that Ohtar would at least have a useful idea to deal with Durza. Anything, really, to help him.
Ohtar responded quickly and confidently, "Lord Edhellhach, if you train us in mind-breaking, we could ambush Imperial squadrons and 'recruit' others to our forces." Edhellhach was surprised; it was a good idea
"And while you ambush the soldiers, I suppose you would want me to neutralize any magicians?" Ohtar wondered if this was a trap, a question like many of his old commanders had posed before berating him for daring to order his superiors about. Sensing his doubt, Edhellhach assured him. "This is not a trap. I honestly want to know if you have a better suggestion for what I should do." Ohtar sighed, relieved.
"No, that was, indeed, what I thought you should do." With a satisfied grin, Edhellhach ordered Ohtar to explain that new plan to the rest of the troops.
After Ohtar left, Edhellhach began to wonder. Once he gave Narlhug his body back, what would they do then? With the energy in Mir and with Narlhug and the soldiers at his side, Edhellhach would have a considerable force, but would it be enough to get revenge on the man who ordered his death three times now? First was Morzan, who as far as Edhellhach knew was still alive, then Ohtar who now worked for Edhellhach, and now Durza. If he had but one more Rider or Indlvarn at his side he would be able to control the Spine, and from there the western coast, and help whoever was left to dethrone Galbatorix.
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It was their third raid against Durza's forces and twenty-five men stronger. When their force of nearly sixty, they found other creatures attacking Durza's forces. The attackers were tall, some reached almost nine feet tall, which, compared to Edhellhach's tall height of six and a half feet, dwarfed all the soldiers. When the soldiers saw the huge horns on the attackers, they realized they were Urgals and Kull. It seemed that the Urgals resided within the Spine.
Edhellhach smiled. "Let me handle this."
Worried, Ohtar told him, "You are powerful, but against both the Empire and the huge Kull you could die."
Edhellhach's eyes glared at him, "Have you forgotten that I am Ebrithil abr Carthungave, the Master of the Spine? I will deal with them and you will not object."
Ohtar wisely decided to not anger the Master of the Spine. "I am sorry; I should not have objected."
Edhellhach relaxed, "Good, now be silent."
Ohtar saw Edhellhach almost glide down to the clearing where the fighting was going on, and he somehow heard a calmly spoken, "Letta." The soldiers and Urgals alike froze, but in the Urgals there was a flash of recognition. They began to cower before the Master of the Spine, who seemed to have grown to a towering ten feet, with darkness shrouding around him. Everyone began to feel terror at the huge, dark being standing in the clearing, who now spoke in a deep, angry voice, like the first time Ohtar had seen Edhellhach. "Who dares disturb the peace of my forest? Urgralgra, you should be ashamed! I let you make your homes here if you fight elsewhere, now you have disappointed me!" He seemed to grow again to a dozen feet and strode towards the War-Chief of the Urgals. "Nar Garzhvog, I expected more of you."
The Kull quietly, but clearly responded "They are Empire, and they are invading our-" Edhellhach's eyes flashed in anger "-your forest." Edhellhach spun and faced the Imperial commander, "Is this true?"
The Imperial commander was trembling "N-no, we were just wa-walking through the Spine."
Edhellhach sensed the lie "With over four dozen soldiers?" The Imperial officer fell down on the ground terrified. Edhellhach scoffed. "Urgralgra. you will be forgiven if you help rid this forest of these-" here he indicated the fallen officer "-cowardly fools. And you, soldiers! You can either join me, or become the Urgals first victims."
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Ohtar was shocked; not one man had died and they nearly doubled their forces. Still, there was something nagging at him. He confronted his leader demanding to know why he hadn't seen Edhellhach demonstrate that kind of power before. Edhellhach sighed. "The Imperial soldiers were the first who had no magicians to combat my magic, and even without that, I wouldn't have been able to defend myself if one of them tried to resist my spell. My guise as the dark warrior was the only way I could keep them in line without someone dying in the process."
Understanding know, but still slightly bitter, Ohtar spat his retort. "And how will you get them to respect you now that you terrified them?"
Edhellhach smiled, amused. "They only know the guise I used as terrifying. Besides, you're the one they need to respect, General."
Shocked, Ohtar responded, "I am now a general in charge of six score troops?"
Edhellhach smiled, "Exactly so."